


Obstacle of Love

by StormChaser1117



Category: The 100 Series - Kass Morgan
Genre: America Ninja Warrior, F/F, Fluff, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-15
Updated: 2020-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-01 05:08:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23159815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StormChaser1117/pseuds/StormChaser1117
Summary: Clarke is competing for the first time on America Ninja Warrior and gets to meet her idol, Lexa 'The Commander' Woods.
Relationships: Clarke Griffin/Lexa
Comments: 14
Kudos: 139





	Obstacle of Love

**Author's Note:**

> Just a one shot, I wrote a few months ago. Figured I'd post it as we all are because of the Coronavirus sweeping across everywhere. Stay safe and hope you enjoy this fluff with our favorite couple :)

* * *

For the past few years, Clarke had dreamed about competing on this stage and now she was finally getting her chance. She could not be more excited. Ever since the show aired when she was sixteen, she wanted to be on American Ninja Warrior.

She watched it every week with her dad and they both loved it. Her mom didn’t understand their obsession, but that was okay with Clarke. Her dad was her best friend and she had always been much closer to him than her mom. Being the amazing dad, he was, he built obstacles in their backyard for her to practice on and she was out their every single day much to her mom’s displeasure.

They even submitted a few to the design challenge as well and won. The Lightning Bolts was an idea she’d come up with and her dad helped her make it a reality. The first time she saw one of their obstacles on the course, it was an amazing feeling, but now that she was about to run the course herself, it was a dream come true.

Clarke was standing in the back area waiting for her turn. Nerves danced in her belly as she paced back and forth while she took deep breaths. Her dad had wanted to come back with her, but she didn’t want to look weak. Besides she knew her friends would keep him entertained on the sideline until her run

“You doing okay, rookie?” A voice called from behind her and she whipped around to see her idol Lexa ‘The Commander’ Woods standing there in tight shorts and an even tighter tank top that showed off her very toned physique.

Clarke was in awe and swallowed her tongue. She watched Lexa the last three seasons dominate the course each and every time. At twenty-one, Lexa had exploded out in her rookie season and was now one of the top women in Ninja Warrior. Lexa was the reason she was here now and competing because she helped pave the way for women to believe they could do anything they wanted and succeed.

She knew Lexa was a lawyer who worked for a non profit which had only endeared Clarke to her even more. She’d lost her parents when she was a teenager and the only family she had left was her sister who was always there on the sidelines cheering her on.

“Hi,” Clarke stuttered and cleared her throat. She felt like a teenager with a crush, even thought she was twenty-two now, it didn’t matter when the object of her fantasies stood right in front of her looking good enough to eat, “I’m okay.”

“Nervous?” She asked taking a step closer. Clarke’s heart started beating rapidly in her chest and butterflies exploded in her stomach.

“How can you tell?” Clarke put her hands on her hips, but was surprised when Lexa’s eyes roamed her up and down.

“We’ve all been there,” She stepped forward and held out her hand, “I’m Lexa.”

“I know,” Clarke blushed, realizing how that sounded, “I mean, nice to meet you, I’m Clarke,” She slid her hand into Lexa’s and felt a jolt from where they touched, spread up her arm and throughout her entire body.

Lexa smiled and it was even more beautiful in person than it was on TV. On the course, Lexa always wore a determined expression and when she was interviewed, only a half smile on her lips, but a full blown smile from Lexa was mesmerizing and Clarke felt like she paled in comparison to the goddess before her.

“Just do your best out there and most of all, have fun,” Lexa still held her hand and Clarke didn’t mind at all, “Seriously, its the best time out there on the course. Don’t worry about anybody or anything else.”

Clarke laughed, “For some reason, I thought you’d have better advice than that,” She teased and was rewarded when Lexa threw her head back and laughed loudly.

It was a sound she wanted to hear again and again.

“I don’t usually talk to many people,” Lexa rubbed the back of her neck and flushed red. It intrigued Clarke more than she was willing to admit.

“Really?”

“Umm…” Lexa dropped her hand and Clarke immediately missed her touch, “Yeah. I come off as rude, but I'm usually just focused on what I need to do so I come off as unfriendly.”

"I don't think you are," Clarke smiled and loved seeing Lexa blush.

"Thank you," Lexa returned her smile with a half one.

“Would you like to…” Clarke didn’t get to finish her question when someone behind her called her name.

“Clarke Griffin,” He smiled and glanced back and forth between them, “You’re up.”

“Okay, thank you,” She nodded back, but when she turned around, Clarke noticed Lexa had taken a few steps back, “Sorry about that.”

“It’s quite alright,” Lexa smiled softly, “Good luck out there, rookie,” With that, Lexa nodded and walked quickly away.

Clarke stood there, staring after her until she disappeared around the corner and she couldn’t help but wonder if it had all been a dream.

If it was, Clarke didn’t want to wake up.

“Clarke,” Someone called her name again and she snapped to attention and hurried out. She looked down at her t-shirt and smiled when she read ‘Skai Girl’. It was a nickname from her dad because she was always climbing on anything and everything growing up. She loved being up high and hated being on a solid ground.

“Coming,” She hurried after them, trying to banish the nerves that erupted in her stomach as she made her way to the start line with a big smile on her face. She hoped nobody could see how fake it really was as she waited for the countdown so she could start the course.

She started visualizing the different obstacles after seeing other Ninjas run it and knew she could do it. It was only the qualifying run, but she wanted to make it in the top five so she could be in the Finals. Clarke was the last woman to run and she knew she had to either finish the course or get to the fifth obstacle in a fast enough time.

Clarke didn’t just want to make it to the finals, she wanted to hit a buzzer on top of the warped wall.

That was her goal.

Looking at the sideline, she saw her dad and her two best friends cheering for her, but what made her freeze in place was when she locked eyes with Lexa standing back in the crowd, but Clarke could feel her heated gaze on her.

She smiled and felt a sense of calm wash over her as the countdown began, “3...2...1…”

-=-

The crowds in Polis were crazy, but this was her hometown and Clarke wanted to make them proud.

Taking a deep breath, Clarke took the first steps towards the shrinking steps. Each of the five steps got smaller as she went, but she managed to grab the rope and swing to safety on the other side without touching the water and with only one swing.

It would help conserve her energy if she could get through the obstacles quickly.

She smiled, ignoring the roaring of the crowd and the screams from her friends and dad as she took a look at the next obstacle. Ring Swing. She knew timing was everything with this one.

Clarke looked over and locked eyes with Lexa who smiled and gave her a thumbs up. She let Lexa’s confidence wash over her and set her feet. She knew that timing was everything and took a deep breath. Clarke needed to swing over and hook the ring before transitioning to the other ring and unhooking it before she could dismount.

Clarke swung out and was able to hook the first. She reached for the second using both rings to steady herself. She just needed to unhook it and finally she did. She sprung off it on the first swing not wanting to chance the extra swings. Clarke landed on her feet, but the momentum pitched her forward and she went into a roll before bouncing back up.

The crowd went wild and she could Matt and Akbar exploding that she was a hot new rookie and Clarke couldn’t help but smile.

She could hear her dad screaming for her over the crowd as well as her friends. Once again, she looked for Lexa in the crowd, inexplicably drawn to her even though they’d only just met.

Clarke took a minute, aware of the time in the back of her head and immediately jumped onto the trampoline and up onto Spring Forward. The three bars were set on springs she knew and she’d watched the other ninja’s like a hawk as they conquered them. She held on tightly to the first spring, bouncing everywhere as she did her best to get her momentum going.

When, Clarke felt like she had enough, she shot forward and barely managed to grab the second bar with her left hand, but luckily was able to get her right hand up as well. She couldn’t help but smile as she heard the gasps in the crowd. Switching her focus back to the obstacle, Clarke steadied her grip and swung back and forth. The last bar would be trickier as it was angled down twenty degrees.

Her goal was to grab up higher in case she slipped, she would still have some of the bar to grab. Taking another deep breath, she swung and caught it right where she wanted to. Clarke sighed in relief, but knew she still needed to get off. This bar was bouncing her every which way and was making it difficult for her to hang on, but she managed to swing off, barely making it to the landing pad.

But she made it. That was all the mattered.

Not wanting to waste any time, Clarke sprinted across the diamond dash, the boards underneath her swinging back and forth beneath her feet. The second to last one, tripped her up, but she managed to jump the last few feet to the platform, landing hard on her stomach.

It took her a second to get her breath back, but she popped up and felt blood trickling from her lip. She wiped it away, not caring about the small injury at the moment. Clarke vaguely was aware of the comments from Matt and Akbar, but ignored them. She found herself looking into the crowd and found Lexa whose green eyes were filled with concern. Clarke nodded to show she was okay, oddly touched that Lexa was worried.

Lexa pointed to watch and Clarke knew she needed to keep going. ‘The Spin Hopper’ was the fifth obstacle and one of the tougher obstacles in her opinion. She leaped up and grasped the first one, keeping her arms level, knowing the pipes spun.

Her forearms were burning, but she preserved, keeping her hands as level as she could. She got through the first five, managing to get through the first half and was at the top, grateful this pipe didn’t spin. She could feel her grip weakening, but she pushed on and tried to maneuver down.

She jumped from pipe to pipe, getting to the second to last one, but she hit the final one with her knee and she groaned in frustration. Clarke did her best to correct it, but her hands were slipping and before she knew, the water engulfed her as she splashed down.

Not wanting anyone to see how upset she was, she stood up with a smile and a shrug before she climbed out. A towel was immediately handed to her, but she could see the camera rolling on her. She forced another smile before she was engulfed by her friends.

“You did so good!” Octavia slapped her on the back.

“Way to go Griff,” Raven smiled broadly, “You know this course would be even better with explosions.”

“NO!” Octavia and Clarke exclaimed together. Raven was dangerous like that and Clarke had seen far too many of her experiments.

“I’m proud of you kiddo,” Her dad whispered, but her name was called and Clarke looked behind her, hoping beyond hope, it was Lexa, but instead, it was Zuri wanting to talk.

“You killed it up there for being a rookie, Clarke,” Zuri smiled, “Amazing job!”

“Thank you,” Clarke smiled.

“Did you ever think you’d go from your backyard obstacles to this?” She asked with another award winning smile.

“I hoped so,” She answered breathlessly, “Being on the course was a dream come true.”

“We’re happy to hear that,” She paused a moment, “I have some news for you, Clarke.”

She waited with bated breath, “Good news I hope.”

“Yes,” Zuri put her hand on her shoulder, “You qualified for the final. You didn’t finish, but you got to the fifth obstacle fast enough and you’re one of the five top women tonight. How does that feel?”

A beaming smile spread across her face when she looked behind Zuri and saw Lexa hovering behind her, “Words can’t describe how I’m feeling at the moment,” As she said, Clarke locked eyes with Lexa’s and her heart skipped a beat, “I’m just honored to be here and I hope to eventually climb my first warp wall and hit a buzzer.”

“Good luck, Clarke,” Zuri stepped away, but Clarke’s focus was all on Lexa.

She turned back to her friends and her dad, “I’m going to go change, and I’ll be back out in a little while.”

“Take your time, we’ll watch the last few competitors,” Her dad kissed her cheek.

Clarke wound her way back behind the scenes, smiling at the spectators and giving high fives to the ones who asked. As soon as she was hidden, Clarke took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She didn’t do as well as she wanted, but still did well enough to qualify.

There was no point in beating herself up about it.

Closing her eyes, Clarke ran a hand over her face before she squared her shoulders. She stretched before opening her eyes. Startled for a moment, Clarke took in Lexa standing a few feet away just watching her.

“Been there long?” Clarke asked.

“No.”

“Can I help you with something?” Her voice was slightly bitter, but her heart still skipped just seeing Lexa.

“I just wanted to let you know, you did well on the course. How's your lip?,” Lexa smiled and stepped closer.

“Not as good as I wanted to and my lip is okay. Just a small cut where I bit down too hard,” She shook her head, hating her negative tone, but unable to stop it. Honestly she'd forgotten all about her cut.

“For being a rookie, you did an incredible job and you should be proud of yourself,” Lexa was right in front of her now and Clarke could see the gold flecks in her green eyes.

“Thank you,” She swallowed thickly, feeling the heat of Lexa’s body through her wet clothes.

“You’re welcome,” Lexa’s eyes darted to her lips and back up again, “If you’d like, we could train together.”

Clarke was surprised, knowing Lexa didn’t usually train with anyone, but knew she’d be an idiot to turn it down.

“I’d like that very much,” She couldn’t help but smile when Lexa handed her a business card.

“My personal number is on the back, give me a call and we’ll set something up,” Lexa’s voice had dropped an octave and Clarke was mesmerized by the darkening in her eyes.

“Lex, let’s go!” A voice snapped her back to the present and Clarke sprung backwards before looking towards the person who interrupted them. She wanted to growl in frustration because she had a feeling, Lexa was about to kiss her.

“I’m coming,” Lexa growled, clearly upset at being interrupted as well which brought another smile to Clarke’s face.

“I’ll call you,” She whispered, very aware of Lexa’s sister watching them.

"I’m looking forward to it,” Lexa swiftly leaned in and kissed her cheek before darting back towards her sister.

“Me too,” Clarke whispered, but wasn’t sure if Lexa had heard or not.

-=-

Walking away was harder than Lexa thought it would be. She wished Anya hadn’t interrupted, but as usual her sister had no tact.

“Who was that?”

“A new rookie,” Lexa didn’t want to give more away knowing that her sister would automatically assume there was more to it.

“A very good looking rookie,” Anya glanced over her shoulder before nudging her, “Did you get her number?”

“No,” Lexa sighed, “Look, can we just go home. I got a few weeks to train and I need to get back to work.”

“Where do you think we’re going right now, Lex,” Anya slapped her on the back, “You did good out there by the way. You had one of the fastest times out of the finalists.”

“I’m aware,” Lexa stretched her back, feeling the muscles pull and knew an ice bath was in her near future, “That doesn’t matter to me. I only wanted to do my best.”

“Well you certainly did,” Anya laughed as they made it to the parking lot, “Do you think you’ll get your first city final’s buzzer this season?”

“I want to,” Lexa waited for her sister to unlock the car before she slipped inside, “I mean, it would be awesome to do it, but I really want to do is get back to Vegas. I want to make it past Stage 2 this year.”

“I think you stand a good chance,” Anya started driving towards their place, but Lexa was having a hard time following what Anya was talking about. Her mind kept drifting back to Clarke. She still couldn’t believe she gave Clarke her card with her personal number on it.

She never did that.

There was just something about her that intrigued her and Lexa wanted to know more. Despite what Clarke thought, Lexa really did think she did well on the course with it only being her first time. She’d been impressed and hadn’t been able to resist finding Clarke after her run to tell her.

“Earth to Lexa,” Anya smacked her on the shoulder.

“What?”

“Are you even listening to me?” Anya snapped, her grip tightening on the wheel as she turned onto their street.

“Of course, An,” Lexa lied.

“Than what was I saying?” Anya smirked and Lexa knew she was caught, but luckily they’d pulled into the driveway of their town-home. It still took her a minute to believe this place was theirs.

They’d bought it a few years ago and spent their time and money renovating the fixer upper. It took much longer than either of them thought, but their hard work had paid off. The three bedroom, two bathroom place had become home and Lexa loved that she helped make it happen with her bare hands.

She was proud to call it home.

“That you think I can make it,” Lexa muttered under her breath before she bolted from the car.

“You can run, but you can’t hide,” Anya called from behind her. Lexa fumbled with the key before she finally got the door unlocked and sprinted upstairs to her bedroom. She made sure to lock the door behind her just in case Anya decided to come after her.

Her phone beeped in her pocket and Lexa let out a sigh of relief that she hadn’t forgotten it when she saw who had texted her.

‘Hi, this is Clarke. We met early tonight. Hi.’

Lexa smiled widely at Clarke’s message before she replied.

‘Hi, yes, I remember you. How are you?’

‘Sore’ Clarke added a smiley face. ‘In a good way though. I was wondering if you were serious about training together?’

She hesitated a moment because normally she trained alone, but found herself typing back before her mind had caught up.

‘Yes, I was. Are you still interested?’

‘Very much so. When are you available?’ Clarke’s question made her stop and think about her schedule.

‘I’m free either before six am or after six pm.’ She typed back quickly, feeling like her heart was going to explode when Clarke texted back right away. She couldn’t stop the giggle from erupting.

‘How about six thirty at Polis Ninja Gym tomorrow?’

‘Sounds good, see you then,’ Lexa was giddy with excitement and couldn’t help but wonder if she knew her sister owned the gym.

‘Perfect. Have a good night, Lexa.’

‘You as well, Clarke.’

She tossed the phone on her bed, already missing the connection with Clarke. Sighing, Lexa turned towards the bathroom stripping off her sweaty tank top when the door to her bedroom flew open. Her sister stood there with her hands on her hips.

“I heard giggling,” Anya stated matter of factly.

“Ever heard of knocking,” Lexa growled, “And that door was locked.”

“Please,” Anya scoffed, “You know that hasn’t stopped me before.”

“It’s called privacy,” Lexa stalked off towards the bathroom and started the shower. An ice bath would have to wait. She really just wanted a hot shower right now.

“Well when I hear my little sister giggling,” Anya followed her, “Which I haven’t heard in years, I need to come investigate.”

“Or you could not,” Lexa sighed and leaned back against the counter in her bathroom.

“Are you going to tell me or am I going to have to pry it out of you,” Anya’s face softened as she came to stand next to her.

“Clarke and I are training together tomorrow evening,” Lexa finally admitted. There was no point in trying to hide the fact because Anya would find out eventually. After all, it was her gym.

“Clarke is?” Anya questioned with a raised eyebrow, “And I thought you like training alone.”

“I do,” Lexa shrugged her shoulders, “I only want to help. Clarke is the rookie I was talking to when you came and got me.”

“Oh,” Anya had a devilish glint in her eye, “She was hot, I wouldn't mind...”

“Watch it,” Lexa snapped, “She’s not a piece of meat for you to drool over, she’s a human being.”

Anya held up her hands, “Message received, Lex.”

Lexa ran a hand across her face, “You know I hate when you do that.”

“Do what?” Anya feigned innocence, but Lexa didn’t buy it.

“Say shit to rile me up,” Lexa rolled her eyes.

“Me…I’d never to do that,” She laughed and backed up towards the door.

“Sure, you wouldn’t,” Lexa went to pull off the rest of her clothes, “Now if you don’t want to see me naked, I suggest you leave.”

“Nothing I haven’t seen before, Lex,” Anya moved out the door, “Besides who do you think helped bath you when we were kids.” She could hear Anya laughing all the way down the hall.

Lexa smiled, stripped and stepped into the scalding hot shower, letting the water beat down on her sore body.

She couldn’t stop the smile that crossed her face when she thought about tomorrow night and seeing Clarke again.

For the first time in a long time, Lexa hoped the work day went by quickly.

-=-

Nerves fluttered in her belly as she walked into the gym a little before six. Lexa was one of those people that believed if you were on time, you were late. Anya always gave her a hard time about it as it did her ex-girlfriend.

She walked in and headed straight for the locker room to store her stuff, ignoring her sister’s knowing glance as she leaned against the door of her office.

Lexa put her stuff in her locker, not bothering to lock it since she knew Anya had security cameras everywhere. She sat down on the bench and ran a hand over her face as she waited for Clarke to show. It was still ten minutes to six, but she was curious to see if Clarke would show up early or not.

If she did, Lexa would know she was serious about her training, if she didn’t, Lexa wasn’t so sure this arrangement could work and it had nothing to do with how attractive, Clarke was.

None at all.

“Hey, Lex,” Her sister called from the doorway, “The hot blonde is here.”

Lexa growled and stood up quickly, “She has a name, I suggest you remember it,” She pushed back past her sister and hurried towards the entrance. Clarke was early and that fact alone brought a smile to her face, but it fell off quickly when she saw Clarke.She stopped short when she saw Clarke standing there talking to Lincoln.

A wave of jealousy washed over her before she schooled her features and approached Clarke.

“Hey, sorry to keep you waiting, I didn’t know you were here,” Lexa couldn’t stop the small smile as she took in Clarke who looked even more beautiful if it was possible.

“Oh, no worries,” Clarke turned her brilliant white smile on her and Lexa felt her cheeks flush, “I was just talking to…” She trailed off, “I’m sorry, I forgot your name.”

Lincoln glanced over at her and back to Clarke, “Lincoln,” He smiled, “I’ll leave you to be,” He turned towards her, “Run in the morning, Lex?”

“Yeah, sounds good,” She replied without taking her eyes off of Clarke.

“Awesome,” He nodded, “Nice meeting you, Clarke.”

“You as well,” Clarke offered her hand and he shook it before striding away, “Hi.”

“Hello,” Lexa shifted from foot to foot, unsure how to proceed. This was one of the many reasons, she only trained with her sister or Lincoln. She was always so awkward around other people, especially pretty women, “Ready to train?”

“Yes,” Clarke nodded, “How about you stick to your regular routine and I just copy you.”

Lexa took a moment to think about it, “That could work, but my routine isn’t often the same.”

“It’s all good,” Clarke shouldered her backpack up, “I think I’ll be able to keep up.”

“I think you just might,” Lexa let her gaze roam over Clarke’s body before her eyes snapped up to meet Clarke’s eyes dancing with amusement, “Have you been here before?”

“A few times, yeah,” Clarke admitted, “I usually train in my backyard with my dad.”

She nodded, remembering hearing that and thought it was really cool Clarke had such supportive parents. It saddened her somewhat as she remembered her own parents who’d never see what she or her Anya had accomplished or would accomplish. She rolled her shoulders trying to dispel the mood.

“Let’s store your stuff and we can get started,” Lexa suggested. She led her way back to the locker room and pointed to the locker next to hers, “You can use this one.”

“Thanks,” She watched as Clarke stripped off her t-shirt, leaving her in a tight tank top. Lexa swallowed thickly as she took in the toned arms, the slight cleavage and trim waist, “Ready when you are ‘Commander.”

A shiver shot down her spine at the husky tone. Lexa turned abruptly on her heel and hurried out with Clarke on her heels. Nobody had ever called her ‘Commander’ like that before and Lexa found herself liking it.

Probably more than she should.

“Let’s just see if you can keep up, rookie,” She smirked and took off across the floating steps, but were technically just pads on the floor, but it gave the illusion of the actual obstacle before she jumped up on rings and swung across.

She could hear Clarke right behind her, but it didn’t bother her in the least. Instead, it gave her a thrill that she never experienced with Lincoln or Anya.

“You’re fast,” Clarke panted as they landed on the mats, “Faster than I’ll ever be.”

“That’s not true. You’ll get better, Clarke,” Lexa hated the frown on Clarke’s face and just wanted to see her smile again, “What got you into Ninja?”

“My dad and I started watching it and I thought it was really cool. I didn’t get serious about it until a couple years ago.”

Lexa arched an eyebrow, “Oh...why is that?” She hadn’t expected to see Clarke blush and duck her head.

Clarke grabbed her water and took a sip, “Umm…you.”

“Me?” Lexa wasn’t sure what to think, “Why me?” She couldn’t help but be curious. Lexa knew little girls looked up to her, but didn’t think any of the other ninjas did.

It being Clarke was a welcome surprise.

“Because you’re an advocate for LGBT rights, you’re setting an example for women across Ninja. You’re a role model everywhere, Lexa and I look up to you. I have since I saw you run as a rookie.”

“Wow,” Lexa rocked back on her heels, “I don’t know what to say except thank you and I’m honored.”

“Don’t mention it,” Clarke glanced up at her and looked away quickly.

Lexa could sense Clarke was uncomfortable so she decided to change the subject, “How about we get some practice on the warped wall?”

Yeah, that sounds good,” Clarke nodded, a look of determination crossing her face, “Can we practice the spin hopper later, well if they have it here.”

“It’s here,” Lexa paused, “My sister owns the gym and I’m a silent partner as well,” She admitted softly. She’d never told anyone that before, “I don’t advertise it though.”

“Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me.”

Lexa wasn’t sure why, but she believed her.

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” A silent understanding passed between them and Lexa felt butterflies swarm her stomach when she saw Clarke’s eyes dip to her lips.

She cleared her throat, “Well, how about that warped wall,” Lexa led them over to the back of the gym and stood at the bottom of the fourteen and half foot wall, next to the eighteen foot one they’d added a few months ago, “Which one?” She joked.

Clarke laughed and it was a sound Lexa wanted to hear again and again, “I think I’ll stick with the smaller wall for now.”

“Good choice,” Lexa giggled, but quickly clamped a hand over her mouth, “Want to go first?”

“Can you, so I can see?”

“Sure,” Lexa was 5’8 so she was taller than most of the women which gave her a slight advantage. She backed up a few feet and took off running, her feet slapping against the platform, she pushed off with her back foot and propelled herself up so she could grab the lip of the wall. She smiled and pulled herself up.

“You make that look so easy,” Clarke called from the bottom.

“Don’t worry, you’ll do great,” She smiled and put her hands on her hips, “Your turn.”

Clarke nodded and a determined glint in her eye. She took off and climbed up, but she didn’t make it. Lexa watched as Clarke slid down and shook out her arms before she tried again. The second time, her fingers grazed the lip, but Clarke couldn’t hold on.

“Damn it,” Clarke blew out a frustrated breath and Lexa understood.

“It’s okay, try again.”

“Okay,” Clarke wasn’t aware of the spectators, but Lexa saw them gathered around behind to watch her. She took a running start and this time, Clarke was able to grab the ledge with both hands and haul herself up.

“Fantastic job!” Lexa cheered as the crowd below them erupted in applause before they dispersed back to what they were doing previously, “I knew you could do it.”

Clarke’s smile lit up her entire face and Lexa had the sudden urge to kiss her.

She didn’t, just squeezed Clarke’s shoulder and did her best to ignore the torrent of emotions that Clarke’s presence evoked.

“Can we continue to train together until at least the finals?” Clarke asked softly.

“Sure,” Lexa agreed without a second’s hesitation.

It looked like she had a new training partner for the foreseeable future and she was very much looking forward to it.

-=-

A few weeks later, the finals had arrived.

Training with Lexa had given her much more confidence and Clarke was beyond grateful for all her support and encouragement. It meant more to her than she could possibly say. Plus training had its advantages as she got to see Lexa multiple times for training, plus they’d started spending time outside the gym as well.

She stood back while she watched Lexa stretch. Did she mention that Lexa was gorgeous to watch no matter what they were doing. Clarke was smitten and she knew it, but didn’t care.

All she wanted to do over the last few weeks was kiss Lexa, but hadn’t wanted to disrupt the flow they’d found themselves in.

“You nervous?” Clarke asked, trying to keep her eyes on Lexa’s face and not on her washboard abs.

“More excited,” Lexa shot her a half smirk that made her knees weak. Clarke was glad that she was sitting down, “But maybe slightly nervous. I want to hit the buzzer.”

“Well if anyone can be the second woman to hit one, it would be you,” Clarke reassured her. It had been five years since the only other woman had hit one and she knew Lexa longed to break the cycle.

“Thanks,” A blush stole over Lexa’s cheeks and Clarke wanted to see what else she could do to make Lexa’s face turn red like that, “It means a lot.”

“You’re welcome,” Clarke smiled and ducked her shyly, unable to look into Lexa’s green eyes because she didn’t want Lexa to see the desire and longing in her own gaze.

“You did really well,” Lexa smiled, “For a rookie,” Lexa strode closer and Clarke stood up, “How was getting up your first warped wall?” She questioned with a knowing smile.

“Thanks, I just hate that I fell on the new obstacle. I completely missed the final ball,” She scoffed, still unsure how she made a stupid mistake.

“It’s okay,” Lexa was quick to reassure her which Clarke loved, “You still have a chance to go to Vegas. It’s just me and one other women running right?”

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure it is,” Clarke looked around and shrugged, “I can ask the producers, but don’t think it’s necessary.”

“Nope, as long as the other woman is slower than you or falls before, than you’re okay and still have a shot.”

“Yeah, I know,” Clarke scuffed her shoe against the pavement, the wind blowing her hair around, but she’d changed into sweats and a dry t-shirt after her run so she wasn’t cold. She noticed one of the camera guys, “Do you ever get used to all the cameras,” She whispered as one turned towards them.

“Not really, but you learn not to notice them as much,” Lexa reached out, but before Lexa’s hand could make contact with her, Lexa dropped her hand back to her side.

She wanted to yank Lexa’s arms up and around her waist and kiss her senseless, but once again refrained.

“I hope so,” Clarke smiled when Lexa’s name was called, “You sure Anya doesn’t hate me?” She asked again because no matter how many times Lexa said no, Clarke believed differently.

“No, she doesn’t,” Lexa grinned, “She’s just…Anya. You get used to her,” She shrugged, “If you don’t want to be on the sideline with her, I’ll understand.”

“No, I do,” Clarke saw Lexa’s smile drop and hated the disappointment that flashed through her eyes. She reached out and put her hand on Lexa’s firm forearm, “I want to be there and cheer you on, I just…” Clarke paused, “wanted to make sure Anya was okay with it.”

Lexa put her hand on top of hers and tingles spread up Clarke’s arm. It wasn’t the first time they’d been this close, but each and every time, Clarke’s heart rate skyrocketed and her palms were clammy.

“Anya is fine with it,” Lexa surprised her when she wrapped her arms around her, “Besides, I like knowing you’ll be next to my sister, cheering for me. It makes me feel special.”

Clarke’s heart skipped a beat and she swallowed thickly, “You are special,” Clarke murmured softly.

“So are you,” Lexa pulled back and looked at her intently for a moment before she pressed a quick kiss to her cheek. Her cheek burned from where Lexa kissed it, but before she could do or say anything, Lexa stepped back, “I have to finish getting ready, but I’ll see you after my run.”

“Absolutely,” Clarke agreed even though it was a rhetorical question and she watched Lexa go, her eyes falling to Lexa’s perfect ass before she disappeared around the side.

Clarke slumped back and put her head in her hands. Before meeting Lexa in person, she was more of a crush that she knew nothing would come of it. Now, Lexa was real and human and untouchable. Clarke found her feelings becoming deeper and deeper the more time they spent together and now she knew.

She was royally screwed especially if Lexa didn’t feel the same way.

Knowing Lexa’s run was about to start, Clarke took off towards the course, nodding to the other ninjas she passed as well as the fans.

“I was wondering if you were going to bail,” Anya snarked as Clarke almost plowed into her.

“I wouldn’t miss it for anything,” Clarke held Anya’s stare and kept her face carefully blank. Whatever Anya saw obviously passed some sort of test because she nodded and a small smile graced her face before it disappeared as quickly as it came.

“Good,” Anya strode off and Clarke was quick to follow. Since her run wasn’t until later, she didn’t worry about finding her dad, Raven and Octavia. She knew they’d be there on the side when it came to her run and she hoped Lexa would be too.

Clarke wrung her hands together when the cameras panned across her and Anya right before Lexa came to the start line.

“Up next, we have Lexa ‘The Commander’ Woods. In her fourth season, she’s become one of the best women today,” Akbar smiled.

“You’re right and her signature war paint is all the rage, look all the fans wearing the same thing. She is one popular ninja,” Matt added.

She heard the announcers, but her gaze was on Lexa. She wore a tight black tank top, black shorts and red Nike shoes. Her hair was pulled back in braids and her war paint covered her eyes like a mask making her green eyes pop.

Clarke clenched her legs together when Lexa locked eyes with her and gave her a half smirk before the countdown began and Lexa took off like a shot from a gun. Lexa’s pace was faster than any of the other women and it only took her a little over two minutes to get the warped wall.

She held her breath as Lexa rocked back on her heels and scaled up it with ease. At the top, she winked at Clarke and she could hear murmurs around her, but ignored them all. She ran down the side with Anya to the backside of the course as Lexa jumped down towards the salmon ladder.

“She shouldn’t go so fast,” Clarke said softly,

“She’ll burn herself out.”

“Lex is strong, she’ll be okay, besides she’s taking a break right now,” Anya nodded to the course where Lexa stood just behind the trampoline with her hands on her hips. Her time was still good. Clarke knew all Lexa needed to do was get to the eight obstacle in a good enough time and she’d go to Vegas.

Even if Lexa did, it would only knock her down

to second among the women and Clarke couldn’t lie. The thought of going to Vegas was amazing, but going with Lexa would be exhilarating.

Clarke smiled when Lexa bounced up and gripped the bar with a reverse grip. Her muscles in her arms, back and shoulders bulged and she hoped nobody noticed how she was ogling Lexa, but damn.

“You got this, Lex,” Clarke mumbled under her breath as she watched Lexa use her whole body to go up one rung after another before she put her feet on the small handles and stood up to face the eighth obstacle.

Slam Dunk.

She could hear Matt Akbar in the background talking away, but she wasn’t paying any attention to them.

It was a new obstacle, but Clarke understood the gist from watching the other ninjas do it. Lexa needed to grip the side of the weighted ball on the handles and basically jump with the ball and slam it into the opposite cradle. She would have to do it twice, but jump to a new ball the second time. Lexa needed to do it twice and do the same thing before transitioning to the final ball before she could dismount.

Clarke held her breath as Lexa dangled from the first ball and watched her enact her core as she swung back and forth to build up momentum. She slammed into the first cradle before repeating it again. She smiled wide when Lexa dismounted and found Clarke’s eyes and winked again.

Lexa was going to kill her by throwing her those winks because she didn’t know what they meant. Oh she wanted them to mean something, but wasn’t sure.

She watched as Lexa approached the ninth obstacle Spin Ball Wizard. This was an obstacle that Lexa would have to jump through five of them and catch herself on the spinning balls on the end and two of them spun from side to side.

It was tough, but Clarke knew Lexa could do it.

“C’mon, Lex, you can do this,” Anya yelled and Clarke saw Lexa shoot her sister a thumbs up before her mask fell back into place, but not before she noticed a twinkle in Lexa’s eyes when they locked eyes again.

“You got this Commander!” Clarke screamed, not caring who heard her.

Clarke smiled as Lexa started the obstacle and grimaced when Lexa spun slightly, but she quickly corrected herself and jumped to the next one that didn’t twist and turn. She started to smile as Lexa got to the third.

“One more and you can dismount!” Clarke yelled again.

She felt eyes on her, but ignored them.

“C’mon Lex!” Anya called out.

Lexa made the transition and built up her momentum to dismount. She didn’t blame her for going for it. It was a long jump, but better to go for it than risk slipping on the final Spin Wizard. Clarke watched Lexa hit the platform standing up and a smile appeared on her face for a brief moment.

“Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god!” Clarke clutched Anya’s arm tightly, needing something to hold on. Lexa was only thirty five feet from the buzzer and she knew how much this meant to Lexa and every other woman in the world.

It was momentous and Clarke felt privileged to be front and center to see it.

She held her breath as Lexa started climbing, using her feet and hands to stay pressed against the glass as she pushed up the first set of doors, each weighing fifty pounds each. She was through and on to the second set. Lexa’s foot slipped and Clarke gasped, but Lexa pushed on.

“She’s going to do it!”

“Of course she is!”

Lexa was pushing up the final doors and Clarke stared up at her as she fell to her knees and hit the buzzer. Tears streamed down her cheeks as the crowd around her erupted in cheers. Clarke was jumping up and down in her excitement and Anya wore the biggest smile she’d ever seen.

It was amazing.

Clarke rushed over to the back unable to wait and watched Lexa climb down slowly. Her face was a mixture of surprise, elation, relief and something else Clarke couldn’t identify.

“You did it!” Clarke pounced on her and hugged her tight. Lexa’s arms came around her and held her close, “I knew you could do it.”

Lexa whispered, ‘Looks like we’re both going to Vegas.”

“What?” It had completely skipped over her head that the other woman fell on the Spin Hopper which meant she made it. “Wow! I can’t believe it.”

“Well believe it, rookie,” Lexa smiled, “Thank you for rooting for me.”

“You’re welcome,” She pulled back and saw Lexa’s gaze drop to her lips. Clarke licked them and saw Lexa’s eyes darken, “Lex…”

“Clarke…” Was the only thing, Lexa said before her mouth captured hers in a searing kiss that she felt all the way down to her toes. She clutched Lexa to her harder and kissed her harder and deeper.

“Damn, I’ve wanted to do that for weeks.”

“Me too,” Lexa kissed her again, softer.

“Go on a date with me,” Clarke murmured against Lexa’s soft lips.

“Sounds like a perfect way to end an already pretty spectacular night.”

Clarke couldn’t believe her luck. She had a date with a gorgeous woman she was crazy about and in her rookie season she was going to Vegas.

It really was the perfect night.

-=-

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to follow me on tumbler @stormchaser1117 for exclusive content and sneak peeks if I ever remember to post them :)


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